Sir William Hamilton, Antiquarian

Mastering the notation of ancient inscriptions had long presented a challenge to antiquarians. Although many Renaissance scholars recognized the importance of epigraphical evidence, they lacked a standard system of documentation and transcription. Antonio Lafreri was among the first to reproduce inscriptions accurately. Through his inclusion of inscriptions in his series of prints, the Speculum Magnificentiae Romanae, Lafreri influenced the taste of future collectors and publishers. As a serious collector and scholar of antiquity, Sir William Hamliton chose to incorporate inscriptions from his collection in this publication. In the eighteenth century, the technique of engraving had developed to the point that it was now possible to compare printed reproductions from different sources. In a gesture to the evolution and structural importance of epigraphic notation, Hamilton playfully incorporates a (T) into the design of an aqueduct.

Giving continuation to this epigraphical motif, Hamilton includes two inscriptions set amongst a cross-cultural assortment of funerary objects. While the Egyptian ushabti’s hieroglyphs are faded by time, the inscription on the fragmentary marble slab is a quotation from Horace’s Ars Poetica, “nec gemino bellum Troianum orbitur ab ovo” (line 147). In keeping with his tongue-in-cheek spirit, the inscription instructs one to start from the earliest possible chronological point, yet not to be too exhaustive. The irony of this learned citation is made evident in Hamilton’s text, where he offers a verbose description of the origins of the art of speech. Here, Hamilton describes the ancient belief that the origins of writing can be traced to the Egyptian god Toth, "creator of writing and of the most ancient memoirs known." The juxtaposition of a Roman inscription and an Egyptian ushabti in this image are a visual manifestation of Hamilton's argument.